This invention relates to methods and apparatus for rinsing tissues.
A body includes a number of sensitive tissues, for example, eye tissue, mucous membranes of the nasal passages and sinuses, and the interior of the mouth. These tissues are subject to bacterial growth, ulcers, irritation and disease.
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucosa of various sinuses, which are located around the nasal passages. Rhinitis is an inflammation of the mucosa of a nasal passage. Sinusitis and rhinitis can be caused by cold viruses, allergies to various allergens, smoking, bacterial or fungal infections, nasal polyps, deviated nasal septums and non-allergic hypersensitivities. Symptoms of rhinitis include: stuffy nose, runny or drippy nose, scratchy throat and dry cough. Symptoms of sinusitis are more severe than the symptoms of rhinitis. Acute and chronic sinusitis occurs when the sinuses are inflamed and the ostia, or passages, are blocked. Symptoms include: nasal congestion; runny or stuffy nose; white, yellow or green discharge; headache; night time cough; pain in the upper jaw or teeth; persistent fatigue; fever; loss of sense of smell or taste; and sometimes serious infections like meningitis, brain abscess or ear infections.
As indicated above, allergies can cause rhinitis and sinusitis. Allergens are organic particles that attach to the nasal mucosa or respiratory mucosa and lead to the development of an antibody, which subsequently creates a series of chemical reactions leading to symptoms. Every individual""s reaction to allergen exposure is different. Indoor allergens include dust mites, mold, pet dander and cockroaches. Outdoor allergens include pollens, grass and mold. Other substances such as cigarette smoke, perfumes and aerosol sprays are irritants that can worsen allergy and sinus symptoms. Allergens can also irritate the eyes and cause itching, tearing, redness, and swelling of the eyelids.
There are various methods to treat the symptoms of, or to cure, sinus and ocular disease, including surgery. An effective nasal rinse can significantly reduce or permanently cure the symptoms of nasal allergies and sinus disease. Saline nasal irrigations have been used and mentioned in medical textbooks going back many years. A wide variety of techniques have been described, including swimming in salt water, which often results in some degree of inadvertent nasal salt water irrigation. For persons suffering from allergies irritating the eye, a saline solution can flush the allergens out of the eye.
Nasal rinsing or lavage is a treatment for rhinitis and sinusitis that uses a saline solution dispensed into the nasal passage to cleanse and wash away mucus and allergy creating particles and irritants. Lavaging allows the sinuses to drain normally and reduces the inflammation of the mucus membrane.
Oral rinsing with a saline solution can be used for therapeutic purposes. Similarly, a saline solution can also be used to relieve dry eyes, conjunctivitis, or flush foreign materials out of the eye, and can be used on a daily basis.
Prepared saline solution is available for uses including nasal lavage, oral rinse, and ocular drops, however a bottle filled with saline solution can be quite expensive. Alternatively, saline solution can be prepared at home using household ingredients. However, there is a concern for cleanliness and contamination, and for ensuring that the proper concentration level and acidity is achieved. Thus, there is a need for a method for preparing a saline solution having a consistent and appropriate concentration that is simple, inexpensive and not easily contaminated.
Nasal rinsing equipment currently available includes various types of dispensers that can be filled with a saline solution and which are then injected into the user""s nasal passage. Conventional nasal rinsing equipment can be crude and may only be suitable for users having a certain size nostril. For proper use, the dispensing tip should comfortably seal against a user""s nostril. Equipment having a dispenser tip designed for a certain size nostril can be useless for someone with a smaller nostril, in particular children, such as the nasal rinse equipment described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,723 for a DEVICE FOR LAVAGING. Thus, there is a need for equipment having a dispenser tip that effectively and comfortably seals against human nostrils of varying sizes, including nostrils of children.
Another problem with current nasal lavaging equipment is that the configuration of the dispensing tip can cause the saline solution to be dispensed into the nasal passage without sufficiently dispersing before reaching the back of the nasal passage, resulting in an uncomfortable or painful sensation for the user. There is a need for a dispenser tip configured to allow the saline solution to disperse sufficiently before reaching the back of the nasal passage.
Conventional lavaging equipment includes dispenser tips that are compatible with power operated oral irrigators. The dispenser tip and oral irrigator can be used to direct the irrigation solution to the mucus membrane of the mouth or throat. However, the dispenser tips are typically only compatible with a certain model of oral irrigator, such as the dispenser tip described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,145 for a NASAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an apparatus and system for preparing and dispensing a saline solution that is simple to use, capable of being prepared and administered in most any location, relatively inexpensive and suitable for use by persons having nostrils of varying sizes, and that is compatible with most commercially available oral irrigators.
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for rinsing tissue with a saline solution. In general, in one aspect, the invention features a system for rinsing tissue that includes an iodine-free saline solution for rinsing tissue and an apparatus for dispensing the saline solution. The saline solution includes approximately 39 parts sodium chloride and approximately 1 to 2 parts sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water. The apparatus includes a cap and a container for holding the saline solution. The cap has a cylindrical lower portion; a rounded convex upper portion curving away from an axially aligned opening, from which a liquid is dispensed, located in the uppermost surface of the upper portion and curving downwardly to join the cylindrical lower portion; an open lower end; and a tubular conduit connected to the uppermost interior surface of the upper portion, the conduit having a hollow center axially aligned with the opening located in the upper portion. The container has flexible sidewalls and an axially aligned neck having an open end. The lower portion of the cap and the neck of the container are configured to join together with a liquid tight connection.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a system for rinsing tissue, including a mixture for preparing a saline solution and an apparatus for dispensing the saline solution onto the tissue. The mixture includes approximately 39 parts sodium chloride and approximately 1 to 2 parts sodium bicarbonate, and is dissolved in water to form a pH balanced, iodine-free saline solution. The saline solution has a pH in the range of approximately 7.3 to 7.7.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method for rinsing tissue. The method includes preparing an iodine-free saline solution having a concentration in the range of approximately 0.9% to 1% by dissolving a measured amount of sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate, the amount being approximately 39 parts sodium chloride and approximately 1 to 2 parts sodium bicarbonate, into a measured amount of water in a container with flexible sidewalls. The method further includes connecting a cap to the container. The cap has a cylindrical lower portion, a rounded convex upper portion curving away from an axially aligned opening from which a liquid is dispensed located in the uppermost surface of the upper portion and curving downwardly to join the cylindrical lower portion, an open lower end, and a tubular conduit connected to the uppermost interior surface of the upper portion and having a hollow center axially aligned with the opening located in the upper portion and wherein the conduit extends into the container. The sidewalls of the container are compressed to urge the saline solution out of the container and cause the saline solution to come in contact with the tissue.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method for rinsing tissue. The method includes preparing an iodine-free saline solution and dispensing the solution to rinse the tissue. The iodine-free saline solution has a concentration in the range of approximately 0.9% to 1%, and is prepared by mixing a measured amount of sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate, the amount being approximately 39 parts sodium chloride and approximately 1 to 2 parts sodium bicarbonate, with a measured amount of water and dissolving the sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate in the distilled water.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. The tissue can be a mucus membrane, eye tissue, skin, or tissue inside an oral cavity. The saline solution can be isotonic, and can have a saline concentration in the range of approximately 0.9% to 1%. The saline solution has a pH in the range of approximately 7.3 to 7.7. The exterior surface of the lower portion of cap can include rounded, vertical ridges. The opening in the cap can be between 2.5 mm and 4.25 mm in diameter. The conduit can have a slightly decreasing exterior diameter from the top to the bottom. The liquid tight connection between the cap and the neck can be a threaded connection. The container can have a marking to indicate the liquid level and be made of transparent material.
Advantages of the invention include one or more of the following. An apparatus is provided that can be used as a nasal rinse by children as well as adults. The apparatus includes a cap design that will provide an effective seal against the nostril of a child or adult. The cap can be used in conjunction with a power driven oral irrigator for performing a nasal, oral, or throat rinse. A flexible tube is provided that can be connected to most commercially available oral irrigators. The irrigation apparatus is simple to use, simple to clean, and inexpensive to replace. The user can inspect all parts of the apparatus to ensure cleanliness. Further, the user can sterilize the apparatus in the home using a microwave or boiling water to kill any bacteria on the surfaces of the apparatus.
A nasal or ocular rinse can be performed without having to bend the neck back and look upwards, as is the case with irrigation systems that rely on gravity to dispense the solution. This feature is particularly advantageous to persons who experience dizziness in this position, in particular elderly persons.
Another advantage of the rinse is that the mixture allows an iodine-free isotonic saline solution to be conveniently prepared that is pH balanced to the mucous membranes and tissue the solution would generally come into contact with. As such, the solution does not create a burning sensation when it comes in contact with said tissues. Generally, isotonic solutions are more comfortable and produce fewer negative sensations than hypotonic and hypertonic solutions when brought in contact with tissues. Greater comfort increases both patient tolerance of the rinsing solution and compliance with a course of treatment.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.